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On Saturday, U.S. Reps. John Salazar (D-Colo.) and Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) hosted a homeland security demonstration at the Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI) in Pueblo, Colo., for House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), and Undersecretary of Homeland Security Jay Cohen.

Salazar and Perlmutter are trying to establish TTCI as the newest member of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a group of test centers and universities that provide anti-terrorism and emergency preparedness training.

The congressmen also are working to secure $18 million in federal funding for the construction of a tunnel complex at TTCI for emergency training and testing functions. The funds are proposed in the Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act of 2007 (H.R. 2095), which last month passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and soon will be considered on the House floor.

An Association of American Railroads subsidiary, TTCI operates a 52-square-mile multi-modal testing and training facility owned by the Federal Railroad Administration. TTCI also operates the Emergency Response Training Center.